DIAS Professor of Literature at the Faculty of Humanities

The Danish Institute for Advanced Study (DIAS) and the Department of Culture and Language at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) invite applications for a fully tenured professorship in the study of literature. The candidate is expected to start in October 2025, or as soon as possible thereafter. Application deadline: February 27, 2025 23.59 PM (CET/CEST).
The Danish Institute for Advanced Study (DIAS) and the Department of Culture and Language at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) invite applications for a fully tenured professorship in the study of literature. The candidate is expected to start in October 2025, or as soon as possible.

The Danish Institute for Advanced Study (DIAS)
DIAS at SDU is a hub for interdisciplinary excellence at and beyond the frontier of knowledge, bringing together outstanding researchers from various disciplines to foster interdisciplinary research and innovation. DIAS encourages and supports curiosity-driven research and fosters the meeting of minds across disciplines and levels of seniority. The centre cultivates an ambitious, open-minded and playful environment that nurtures both academic growth and a strong sense of community.

For questions about DIAS, you may contact Professor Sten Rynning, Director of DIAS ([email protected]).

The Department of Culture and Language
The Department of Culture and Language is home for approximately 200 employees, covering a wide range of subjects and research interests, including American Studies, Audiologopaedia, Business Language, Classical Studies, Communication, Comparative Literature, Culture, Danish, English, German, History, Middle East Studies and the Study of Religion. Our faculty is committed to interdisciplinary research and teaching, encouraging students to explore the intersections of language, culture, and society. They are actively involved in various research centres, groups, and networks, contributing to cutting-edge projects and publications.

At the Department of Culture and Language, literary research is conducted on a wide variety of current and historical topics, both Danish and international. Our researchers’ work spans qualitative and quantitative studies, contextualization and hermeneutics, empirical and theoretical work. We have colleagues who utilize methods from social and health science as well as colleagues whose work bridge literature and history. Methodological and theoretical approaches range from aesthetics, media theory, queer and gender theory, critique and post-critique, and environmental humanities to philology, authorship research, text editing, and digital humanities. Researchers are organized in several independent but intersecting units which in addition to teaching, research, and dissemination also perform archival tasks. These units include Danish, German, English, and Comparative Literature study programmes; the H.C. Andersen Center; the Henrik Pontoppidan Center; Center for Uses of Literature and the Culture-Nature Heritage research group.

For questions about the department, you may contact Head of Department Per Krogh Hansen ([email protected]).

Candidate profile
We seek a candidate with broad knowledge of the field and expertise in more than one language and scholarly tradition, whose profile both complements existing work and has the ability to further develop literary research at the department and engage in interdisciplinary activities at DIAS. We are particularly interested in candidates who combine scholarly excellence and originality with a proven interest in leading and contributing to collaborative work, public dissemination, and societal engagement.

As a DIAS Professor, you are also expected to actively engage with activities at Danish Institute of Advanced Study as a DIAS chair. More specifically, your DIAS affiliation requires active participation in DIAS lectures and related activities. The candidate will be anticipated to contribute actively to DIAS, including but not limited to participation in DIAS activities, mentoring of DIAS fellows, and promotion of DIAS nationally, internationally and within SDU, as well as through strengthening the bonds between the department/faculty on one hand and DIAS on the other, through interdisciplinary collaborations were meaningful.

As a fully tenured professor, you are also employed to contribute significantly to the academic development in the department and of your field. The main work task includes research, teaching, and related organizational tasks. This also includes supporting the career development of younger scholars and the realization of the department’s strategic goals.

Candidates must therefore:

• Have an excellent academic profile and publication track record including substantial international publications.
• Present an ambitious and innovative research and publication plan including plans for acquiring external funding and team building.
• Demonstrate interest for engaging in cross- and inter-disciplinary research and dialogue in order to engage further in the framework of DIAS.
• Be able to teach and supervise core topics in literature

Furthermore, we emphasize the importance of academic citizenship for creating and upholding a stimulating, creative and curiosity-driven research environment.

We recommend that as an international applicant you take the time to visit Working in Denmark where you will find information and facts about moving to, working and living in Denmark, as well as the International Staff Office at SDU.

Conditions of employment
Appointment to the position will be in accordance with the salary agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Please check links for more information on salary (only available in Danish) and taxation.

Application
The Faculty expects applicants to read the information "How to apply" before applying.

The application must include:

• Application letter/cover letter
• CV
• Documentation of qualifications (diplomas, etc.)
• Teaching portfolio (Please read more here)
• Research plan, including documentation of research management experience and record of external funding
• Complete list of publications. The enclosed publications must be clearly marked.
• Up to 6 relevant publications. One pdf-file per publication should be attached. In case of co-authorship, a co-author statement must be submitted as part of the pdf-file
• References letters and other relevant qualifications may also be included

Application and all appendices must be in Danish, English or one of the Scandinavian languages. Please always include a copy of original diploma/certificates. We only accept files in pdf-format no more than 10 MB per file. In case you have more than one file per field you need to combine the pdf-files into a single file, as each field handles only one file. We do not accept zip-files, jpg or other image files. All pdf-files must be unlocked and allow binding and may not be password protected.

The assessment process
Applications will be assessed by an assessment committee and the applicant will receive the part of the evaluation that concerns him/her. The assessment report will subsequently be forwarded to the Head of Department who will assemble an appointments committee. An interview may form part of the overall assessment of the applicants' qualifications.

The committee may request additional information, and if so, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide the necessary material.

If the application does not meet the requirements mentioned above, the Faculty of Humanities may reject your application without further notice. Applications received after the deadline will neither be considered nor evaluated.

Shortlisting and tests will be used in the assessment process. Please note that only a shortlisted applicant will receive an assessment. Here you can read more about shortlisting at SDU.

The University wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

About SDU and Odense
SDU was founded in 1966 and now has more than 27,000 students, almost 20% of whom are from abroad. It has more than 3,800 employees, and 115 different study programmes in the fields of the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, health sciences, and engineering. Its main campus is located in Odense, the third largest city in Denmark, but is present also in Kolding, Sønderborg, Esbjerg and Copenhagen.

The Department of Culture and Language is located at the university's campus in Odense - a vibrant city with 180.000 inhabitants on the island of Funen with a rich cultural life and only 1½ hour away from the Danish capitol, Copenhagen. The city of Odense provides family-friendly living conditions with the perfect combination of a historic city centre with an urban feel and yet close proximity to beaches and recreational areas. Its location on the beautiful island of Funen is ideal with easy access by train or highway to the bigger cities of Aarhus and Copenhagen. As the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen, Denmark’s famous fairytale author, the city is home to a vibrant and creative population that hosts numerous festivals and markets throughout the year.

Application deadline: February 27, 2025 23.59 PM (CET/CEST).

Placering: Odense, Denmark